The story I am about to tell is to this day one of if not THE scariest damn things I have ever experienced and believe me I have had A LOT of nightmares but nothing like this.

It happened a few years ago. I was still quite heavy into all sorts of drugs back then so that could have had something to do with it. However the night this experience occurred was a pretty normal one and as far as I remember I was 100% sober.

I went to sleep just like any other night. Soon enough I started dreaming. Strangely enough my dream was me laying in my bed in the dark with everything exactly the same way as it had been when I went to sleep. So I lay there in my bed in my dream and suddenly notice a tall dark figure moving around in the room next to mine. As the eerie figure got closer to me it became a bit more clear what it was but still not really. The dark silhouette walked right next to my bed and I could see everything... It was a guy I knew from school, a good friend. Except his body was all twisted and strange. His arms were very long and skinny and he was taller than usual. He had this creepy grin or smile on his face as he stood next to my bed and stared. Then he suddenly walks away again to the other room and then a few moments later comes back next to my bed.

This kept on happening for a while until it finally got to the point where I woke up. But it wasn't over... and this is where it gets scary as hell. I was fully awake and aware of my surroundings but I was also completely paralyzed. I couldn't move or make a sound. And the scariest part is that the twisted and creepy dark figure of my friend was STILL THERE next to my bed looking at me. And all I could do was stare into its empty eyes while it grinned at me. I was freaking out but I couldn't scream for help or anything as I was still paralyzed. This torture lasted for about half a minute until the figure began to walk away again and suddenly vanished into the air and I was able to move again.

I was terrified. I was covered with cold sweat and panicking. The feeling I got then is almost impossible to describe... It was as if I was so so afraid of my OWN mind because of the nightmares it was capable of producing. I was afraid to fall asleep even because I just somehow knew if I slept then the ordeal would begin again.

Soon enough I did fall asleep though but I was right... it was still not over. My next dream was again me laying in my bed in the dark but just slightly later in the night. Suddenly something pulled me out of my bed and dragged me towards the stairs and tried to throw me down. Just the moment I was about to be pushed down the stairs I woke up again.

That was the end of the nightmare for that time. I could fall asleep again and nothing quite as scary as this has ever happened again. And I really hope it never will.

I hope you found my experience to be interesting. Feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment

Peace out dreamers

Walk fast eyes crying into the sky, winter is coming but the snow falls so slowly.

- Article - "Sleep Paralysis Treatment - Stop Feelings Of Being Held Down At Night" by Ryan Hurd - dreamstudies.org This article includes a short artsy film about sleep paralysis by Carla Mackinnon, and also a link to a free "Sleep Paralysis Report" by Ryan Hurd.

Soulhuntah your experience is a pretty vanilla Old Hag experience mixed with an SP experience (also pretty commonplace). Everyone after a really bad nightmare is inspired to be afraid of sleep. Your experience was extremely bad by your own past experience; though objectively was not that bad. You should definitely not be afraid of sleeping again - if for no other reason that being afraid of it will cause you to have more of these Old Hag experiences.

"There is only one God and his name is Death.And there is only one thing we say to death "not today"- Syrio Forel

SoulHuntah wrote:But it wasn't over... and this is where it gets scary as hell. I was fully awake and aware of my surroundings but I was also completely paralyzed.

In retrospect are you sure it wasn't a false awakening? They can certainly feel like you are wide awake, and I should know for I get them quite a bit, and had my own rash of sleep paralysis nightmares between October 2011 and April 2012. (Only an odd 1 or 2 a year since, but not nearly as scary.)

Sharing my experiences here on the the forum helped shine a light on the unknown and they've gone away. (Knock on wood ). But 'knowing is half the battle', so they aren't as bad anymore.

It's hard to describe the shear level of terror, and for me it was by far the scariest situation in my life. I use to see a shadow too. Who's afraid of a shadow? When you describe it, it sounds tame. But what people don't realize is that the indescribable fear comes from within and the shadow, or any other hallucination (dream) comes second. The fear comes before the form.

That's my experience anyway, and that's how I rationalized it and got over it. If not... I would believe in demons right now, I tell ya!

I'm sure it wasn't a false awakening. I remember sitting up and gasping for air right after the paralysis was lifted and I could still see the strange dark apparition walk away and vanish.

I read about hallucinating right before or after sleep and it helped explain things a bit. It hasn't happened again like this but now I have even bigger problems. I hallucinate things in the dark very often and also with my eyes closed. Not sure what this is yet

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Walk fast eyes crying into the sky, winter is coming but the snow falls so slowly.

SoulHuntah wrote:I'm sure it wasn't a false awakening. I remember sitting up and gasping for air right after the paralysis was lifted and I could still see the strange dark apparition walk away and vanish.

I read about hallucinating right before or after sleep and it helped explain things a bit. It hasn't happened again like this but now I have even bigger problems. I hallucinate things in the dark very often and also with my eyes closed. Not sure what this is yet

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It's claimed that the Old Hag pressing one is sleep apnea, but this makes no sense, as if one were awake as many SP experiencers claim one could not be suffering sleep apnea as REM muscle Atonia in no way effects breathing - more proof that one is really asleep when these experiences happen rather than awake. or that the Old Hags are real if one is really awake

I remember sitting up and gasping for air right after the paralysis was lifted and I could still see the strange dark apparition walk away and vanish.

This is very like my own experience as a two year old. I was extremely tired and walking up stairs to bed, as I entered my bedroom a ring of golden fire suddenly flew pass me, then returned, flew around my head three times, then flew to my bed and dissolved on it. I then walked to my bed and went to sleep. the next morning I woke up with my head pointed towards the foot of the bed.

Most likely I fell asleep standing up, slept walked to my bed (though I thought I was awake) or alternately I fell asleep standing up, woke up and walked to my bed and went to sleep and tossed and turned in my sleep.

I read about hallucinating right before or after sleep and it helped explain things a bit. It hasn't happened again like this but now I have even bigger problems. I hallucinate things in the dark very often and also with my eyes closed. Not sure what this is yet

This is hypnagogia - its just the first stage of sleep/dreaming and you're just doing mini WILDS spontaneously, no big deal and nothing to worry about. I had terrible ones for years, but many just have pleasant and beautiful ones. You're incubating the nightmarish ones stop it and start incubating the dream ones.

"There is only one God and his name is Death.And there is only one thing we say to death "not today"- Syrio Forel

I also had this when I was a child. Most terrifying thing ever. I never had any figures or things on my chest or strangling me. Any characters were leftovers from the dream I was having that turned into a nightmare. My realization that I needed to wake up to escape feeling scared is what seemed to trigger the paralysis. I would be frozen and unable to move, but held by an invisible force, something pressing me down or sucking me into the bed like a magnet. And there were body vibrations and electric sensations and always a loud sinister buzzing sound. I usually could not breathe or cry for help, or even open my eyes which seemed glued shut (contrary to how others experience this.) I never felt so helpless or terrified, and certain I would die if I could not struggle free.

Once and only once did I accidentally fall asleep too soon after breaking free of the paralysis of a particularly nasty episode. As soon as I closed my eyes I seemed to immediately sink back into the paralyzed state, buzzing and all, and had to struggle all over again.

But it has been many years since I had this and I've been curious to experiment with it (as strange as it sounds) and see what happens. But for whatever reason, despite the increased stress I now have and irregular sleeping schedule, I am free of this condition. How did I escape it and why hasn't it returned? Is it just brain chemistry?

I also have read posts in here that question whether SP is really linked to REM paralysis or just a false awakening dream - or even apnea. I don't think these are true, because:

1. One already is paralyzed during REM sleep, so although it might be a coincidence, it seems kind of convenient that you are already paralyzed.

2. Nightmares seem common, but why would these most terrifying ones be so specifically awful BECAUSE of the unique characteristic of paralysis?

3. If it were just a dream, then why is the paralysis so hard to break free from? It seems you are more at the mercy of the REM paralysis ending than simply not being able to "wake up" from your false awakening.

4. Suffocation is linked to REM paralysis because, although you are actually breathing during REM, taking a voluntary gasp, especially if trying to scream, seems impossible and adds to the paralysis, and makes you feel pressed down at the chest. Why would that happen independently in a dream?

5. Apnea also is unlikely. In the event that you can't breathe, you wake up gasping. Now, I've never had this, but why would one simultaneously dream of paralysis if suffocation was the affliction? And, if you really WERE not breathing, you would either wake up in a few seconds, or, I guess, die. I mean, my episodes only lasted a minute or so tops (even though it was an eternal minute), but some claim this to last for hours. False awakening, maybe (REM lasting hours or all night??), but nobody can hold their breath that long, so, I'm thinking no to apnea, in those long episodes in particular.

And all I could do was stare into its empty eyes while it grinned at me. I was freaking out but I couldn't scream for help or anything as I was still paralyzed. This torture lasted for about half a minute until the figure began to walk away again and suddenly vanished into the air and I was able to move again.

This isnt uncommon. Its sleep paralyses with hypnagogia images.........

I was terrified. I was covered with cold sweat and panicking. The feeling I got then is almost impossible to describe... It was as if I was so so afraid of my OWN mind because of the nightmares it was capable of producing. I was afraid to fall asleep even because I just somehow knew if I slept then the ordeal would begin again.

Soon enough I did fall asleep though but I was right... it was still not over. My next dream was again me laying in my bed in the dark but just slightly later in the night. Suddenly something pulled me out of my bed

and you created another experience for yourself as that is what was on your mind. With this stuff when we think about it, we often then create it when we go into a dream state.

Its called dream incubation.. eg a person thinks about what they want to happen and it then happens.. many dreamers do this on purpose. You were doing it in a negative manner due to your fears.

As I wrote in my last post, I seem to have the OPPOSITE of dream incubation, where the opposite of what I want happens. To be honest, this is what it seems like is happening to you. I imagine what you want most is NOT to have these sleep paralysis experiences, and not only do you continue to get them, but you'll get them one after the other, falling effortlessly back into dreamland despite your stated panic and terror.

In my case "incubating a dream" by thinking about it is a form of expectation, causing anxiety and stress, leading to the dream NOT happening, and in some cases NO SLEEP AT ALL.

If dream incubation / fulfillment of repeatedly thought desires, I should always fall asleep within minutes and have incredible dreams, and you should be able to avoid the nightmares, or at least be so scared and vigilant so you are unable to fall asleep to have them. The fact that the opposite happens to us, respectively, indicates something else is going on besides our desires and intentions.

It's not apnea. Muscle atonia, which is obviously normal during SP, is the answer. Hence the perception of your chest being pressed.

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"Empty cognizance of one taste, suffused with knowing, is your unmistaken nature, the uncontrived original state. when not altering what is, allow it to be as it is, and the awakened state is right now spontaneously present."